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Compare Latvia (2004) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001)
Compare Latvia (2004) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001)
| Latvia (2004) | Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2001) | |
 | -2001-bmala.jpg) | |
| Administrative divisions | 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 15% (male 177,223; female 169,241)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 772,496; female 823,410) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 118,035; female 245,901) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
| Agriculture - products | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
| Airports | 51 (2003 est.) | 5 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 16 (2003 est.) |
total:
2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 20 (2003 est.) |
total:
3 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
total:
12,173 sq km land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Background | After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. | Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. |
| Birth rate | 8.87 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA births/1,000 population |
| Budget | revenues: $3.691 billion
expenditures: $3.871 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
revenues:
$66.2 million expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
| Capital | Riga | Stanley |
| Climate | maritime; wet, moderate winters | cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate |
| Coastline | 531 km | 1,288 km |
| Constitution | 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
| Currency | Latvian lat (LVL) | Falkland pound (FKP) |
| Death rate | 13.73 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | $6.793 billion (2003 est.) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Catherine Todd-Bailey
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510 mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 703-6200 FAX: [371] 782-0047 |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214 FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785 |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Disputes - international | the Russian Duma refuses to ratify boundary delimitation treaty with Latvia; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights | claimed by Argentina |
| Economic aid - recipient | $96.2 million (1995) | $1.7 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the SKELE government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. Preparing for EU membership continues as a top foreign policy goal. The current account and internal government deficits remain major concerns, but the government's efforts to increase efficiency in revenue collection may lessen the budget deficit. | The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. To encourage tourism, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation has built three lodges for visitors attracted by the abundant wildlife and trout fishing. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. |
| Electricity - consumption | 6.046 billion kWh (2001) | 11.2 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 703 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 2.69 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 4.365 billion kWh (2001) | 12 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
| Environment - current issues | Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household and hazardous waste management, and reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010 | NA |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
- |
| Ethnic groups | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) | British |
| Exchange rates | lati per US dollar - 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001), 0.6065 (2000), 0.5852 (1999) | Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); note - the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament elections: president reelected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held by June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president; parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Governor Donald LAMONT (since NA May 1999); Chief Executive A. M. GURR (since NA); Financial Secretary D. F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch |
| Exports | NA (2001) | $7.6 million (1995) |
| Exports - commodities | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs | wool, hides, meat |
| Exports - partners | UK 15.6%, Germany 14.8%, Sweden 10.5%, Lithuania 8.2%, Estonia 6.6%, Denmark 6%, Russia 5.4% (2003) | UK, Japan, Chile, NZ |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms in a white disk centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising is the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $23.9 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $52 million (FY95/96 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4.5%
industry: 24.5% services: 70.9% (2003) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $10,200 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (FY95/96 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 7.4% (2003 est.) | 1% (FY95/96 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 57 00 N, 25 00 E | 51 45 S, 59 00 W |
| Geography - note | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season |
| Highways | total: 73,202 km
paved: 28,256 km unpaved: 44,946 km (2000) |
total:
440 km paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.9% (1998) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; vulnerable to money laundering despite improved legislation due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies, exchange firms, and the gaming industry; organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds | - |
| Imports | NA (2001) | $24.7 million (1995) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing |
| Imports - partners | Germany 16.1%, Lithuania 9.7%, Russia 8.7%, Finland 7.4%, Estonia 6.4%, Sweden 6.3%, Poland 5.1%, Italy 4.4% (2003) | UK, Japan, Chile, NZ |
| Independence | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8% (2003 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials | wool and fish processing; sale of stamps and coins |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 9.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
NA deaths/1,000 live births |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.9% (2003 est.) | 3.6% (1998) |
| International organization participation | Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ICFTU |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (1998 est.) |
NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) | Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions) |
| Labor force | 1.18 million (2003 est.) | 1,100 (est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.) | agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 29.67%
permanent crops: 0.47% other: 69.86% (2001) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 99% forests and woodland: 0% other: 1% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other | English |
| Legal system | based on civil law system | English common law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - New Era 23.9%, PCTVL 18.9%, People's Party 16.7%, ZZS 9.5%, First Party 7.6%, LNNK 5.4%; seats by party - New Era 26, PCTVL 24, People's Party 21, ZZS 12, First Party 10, LNNK 7 |
unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms) presided over by the governor
elections: last held 9 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2001) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 70.86 years
male: 65.91 years female: 76.09 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2003 est.) |
- |
| Location | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
| Map references | Europe | South America |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
continental shelf:
200 NM exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 53,153 GRT/37,414 DWT
by type: cargo 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: Germany 1, Greece 1, Ukraine 1 registered in other countries: 96 (2004 est.) |
none (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Military branches | Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) | British Forces Falkland Islands (includes Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Marines), Police Force |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $87 million (FY01) | $NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY01) | NA% |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 594,596 (2004 est.) | - |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 466,659 (2004 est.) | - |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 19,209 (2004 est.) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
| Nationality | noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
noun:
Falkland Islander(s) adjective: Falkland Island |
| Natural hazards | NA | strong winds persist throughout the year |
| Natural resources | peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land | fish, wildlife |
| Net migration rate | -2.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Pipelines | gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance of the Greens and Farmers Union or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS (Farmer's Union); Indulis EMSIS (Green Party)]; First Party of Latvia [Ainars SLESERS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS]; For Our Latvia or ML [Rihards Jablokovs]; Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [Jevgenijs Osiopovs]; Latvian National Front [Aivars GARDA]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Alfred RUBIKS]; Latvia's Way Union or LC; Light of Latgale or LG; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE]; New Politics Party or JP [Sergejs DOLGOPOLOVS]; People's Harmony Party or TSP [Janis JURKANS]; People's Party or TP [Atis SLAKTERIS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]; Union for the Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK or TB/LNNK [Janis STRAUME]; United Social Democratic Welfare Party or SLP [Juris ZURAVLOVS]; United Republican Party of Latvia or LARP | none; all independents |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] | none |
| Population | 2,306,306 (July 2004 est.) | 2,895 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
| Population growth rate | -0.71% (2004 est.) | 2.43% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils | Stanley |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 1,000 (1997) |
| Railways | total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2003) |
0 km |
| Religions | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
- |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an international capability independent of the Moscow international switch; more facilities are being installed for individual use
domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications international: country code - 371; international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 653,900 (2003) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,219,600 (2003) | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) | 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service) (1997) |
| Terrain | low plain | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
| Total fertility rate | 1.25 children born/woman (2004 est.) | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | 8.6% (2003 est.) | full employment; labor shortage |
| Waterways | 300 km (2004) | none |
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